Two Hearts Drawing Closer

"This is..."

Kakuzu hesitated. Just from its appearance alone, he could tell how dangerous and terrifying this thing was.

"This is Earth Grudge Fear, spoils obtained after wiping out a small ninja clan. Since it held great research value, I kept it here for specialized study. I want to give this thing to you, Kakuzu."

An unreadable glint flashed through Yayoi's eyes as he spoke meaningfully.

Earth Grudge Fear—this was something that had appeared in the original story, or rather, a forbidden technique.

Kakuzu had relied on this thing to remain active from the Warring States Era until decades later, still maintaining the appearance of a man in his prime without aging.

If he had not died at the hands of Konoha's ninja, Kakuzu might have lived for a very long time.

After all, Earth Grudge Fear could capture other people's hearts and use them as life energy, providing the caster with vigorous vitality and achieving an effect similar to immortality.

Moreover, it could seize hearts and obtain other people's ninja techniques.

It was an extremely mysterious and terrifying forbidden technique.

Thus, Yayoi continued explaining some of Earth Grudge Fear's abilities and characteristics to Kakuzu.

After hearing everything, Kakuzu found it unbelievable.

It was not that he did not want to use it, but that he felt such a powerful thing was too valuable for Lord Yayoi to let him use.

Wasn't that too wasteful?

According to Yayoi, if he mastered this forbidden technique, his strength would immediately multiply several times over. And its ageless, deathless nature... that power was simply too tempting.

As for the risks of a forbidden technique... if there were no risks, could it still be called a forbidden technique?

Besides, he trusted Yayoi's judgment. Since Yayoi said he could master this technique, then he surely possessed the talent to do so.

In trusting Yayoi, he trusted him even more than he trusted himself.

"I understand, Lord Yayoi. Please let me... no, please, I must be allowed to try this technique."

Kakuzu was bold. He did not reject becoming a test subject for a forbidden technique.

As a ninja who had followed Yayoi in carving out a nation amid chaotic times, he understood the importance of power all too well.

Many times, he had blamed his own weakness for leaving him unable to help Yayoi much.

What was more, the effects brought by this forbidden technique were so powerful and enticing.

"Then let's begin. There's a sealed chamber next door. Go fuse with it there."

Yayoi pressed a switch, and a door suddenly opened in the wall beside them, revealing an enclosed quiet room.

Yayoi then opened the glass container and released the pitch-black, tentacled heart inside.

Kakuzu stepped forward and grabbed one of the tentacles.

Like venomous snakes, the remaining tentacles swiftly crawled up Kakuzu's body and began wrapping around him.

A chill spread through Kakuzu's entire body, making him frown.

"Then I'll go in first, Lord Yayoi."

Grasping the heart's tentacles, Kakuzu entered the sealed chamber and shut the stone door behind him. No sound from within could escape.

Yayoi did not disturb him. He merely stood where he was, calmly waiting for the result.

Yayoi was fully confident that Kakuzu could completely fuse with Earth Grudge Fear.

First, because the original Kakuzu had endured the fusion of this forbidden technique and mastered it.

Second, because Earth Grudge Fear had been specially activated through his chakra. While increasing its power and vitality, this had also greatly reduced the life-threatening risks of the forbidden technique.

Even if he failed, Kakuzu's life would not be in danger.

One hour... two hours... three hours... four hours...

Six hours passed before the stone door slowly opened.

Kakuzu emerged from the room, his ninja clothes in tatters.

His already dark green eyes seemed even deeper than before.

The aura around him also gave Yayoi a dangerous feeling. He was no longer as harmless as before.

Several swaying black tentacles poked out from his ears. Like black blood vessels, their surfaces gleamed with a dull luster.

Then, as if receiving an order, the blood-vessel-like tentacles withdrew into Kakuzu's ears and vanished.

Kakuzu did not appear to have suffered any harm. His body even looked sturdier, without the stitched scars seen in the original story.

Yayoi suspected that the original Kakuzu had deliberately altered his body into that stitched state to make Earth Grudge Fear's tentacles more convenient for attacking and broaden his combat options.

"How does it feel?"

Yayoi asked Kakuzu how he felt.

"Excellent. It feels like I've stepped into a whole new realm... ah, and there's this too."

Kakuzu took out a kunai and swiftly sliced open his arm.

No blood flowed. Instead, tentacles like black veins sprang out from the wound and danced wildly through the air.

Then, the black veins drew back, and the wound healed itself.

Seeing this, Yayoi smiled in satisfaction.

"Just as expected. After I enhanced its activity with my chakra, this forbidden technique gained the ability to let its caster heal himself."

Yayoi was not surprised by this result.

After being processed with his chakra, such an outcome was only natural.

Earth Grudge Fear was a living forbidden technique.

After its vitality and activity were enhanced, gaining a new ability similar to self-healing was perfectly normal.

And Earth Grudge Fear's changes did not stop there.

In the original story, whenever Kakuzu wanted to use a ninja technique taken from someone else, he had to release the corresponding clone first.

Now, even without releasing a clone, Kakuzu himself could freely use the ninja techniques he had taken. It was a form of optimization.

"So that's why it feels so similar to Lord Yayoi's self-healing ability. I see. This technique is incredibly valuable. If I fought that Yuroketsu guy now, I wouldn't lose."

Kakuzu was brimming with confidence and extremely satisfied with his current state.

An endless stream of vitality and chakra surged through his body, constantly strengthening his physique.

He had once been deeply wary of Aburame Yuroketsu's power, but he no longer thought that way.

Yayoi smiled faintly.

He knew Kakuzu had been under a great deal of pressure recently.

After all, the Land of Night had gained the Aburame Clan as fresh strength. As one of Yayoi's oldest followers, Kakuzu's strength had gradually begun to fall behind.

Now, that anxiety had vanished from Kakuzu's eyes, replaced by steadfast confidence.

And this was only the boost in his base state. Earth Grudge Fear could still acquire four more hearts and further increase his power.

A fully developed Kakuzu would have no trouble defeating Yuroketsu, the Aburame Clan head.

But there was still quite a gap between him and Irori.

Even so, Kakuzu, whose strength had greatly increased, was now one of the Ninja World's rare top-tier ninja.

In the short term, it's basically impossible for my strength to undergo a qualitative leap. This is good too. With Kakuzu gaining Earth Grudge Fear, the burden on me can be eased considerably.

Yayoi thought happily.

Besides improving himself, doing his utmost to elevate his subordinates' strength was also a way to strengthen the Land of Night's military power.

Without capable subordinates, the exhaustion of carrying an entire nation on one's shoulders was easy to imagine.

Yayoi did not consider himself the type to endure hardship for no reason.

Late December.

Land of Night, Inner Court of the General's Residence.

"Lady Kicho, you have been utterly improper lately! If you keep sinking like this, Lord General will come to despise you!"

Perhaps they had finally reached the end of their patience. As maids, Hyuga Aoi and Hyuga Rinko finally lost their tempers and began sternly rebuking their clan head, Kicho, loudly threatening her with the miserable consequences of continuing her decline—being hated by the general, perhaps even abandoned.

"Eh? But my husband dotes on me every night. He doesn't care about such trivial matters at all."

Faced with the rebukes of her two maids, Kicho smiled faintly and waved them off carelessly, continuing to fiddle with all sorts of novel items that her subordinates had sent to curry favor with her.

Like a child, she played with things she had never seen before in the Hyuga Clan.

Some were baby items meant to wish her an early child.

Some were high-end cosmetics made from precious medicinal herbs, meant to preserve her youth and beauty.

There were also a wide range of delicacies and desserts from various countries, gorgeous and lavish clothing, exquisite handmade items and mechanical creations...

In short, whether she thought of something or not, as long as she gave the slightest hint, someone would naturally provide attentive service for her.

And this feeling of being surrounded by others and held in awe was also a pleasure she could never experience in the Hyuga Clan.

Aoi and Rinko were so angry that they could not speak, their faces flushed red.

And she had the nerve to say that.

Every night, she teased the general until deep into the night, "singing" away. Shouldn't she consider how the two of them, sleeping in the side rooms, felt?

Was that sort of thing really so addictive?

Incidentally, although Yayoi and Kicho's master bedroom was soundproofed from the outside, it was actually connected to the side rooms.

The connected sections did have soundproofing, but it was not particularly strong.

Therefore, if the two branch-family girls resting in the side rooms listened carefully, they could vaguely hear some sounds from the master bedroom.

What was more, Kicho "sang" so loudly every night that it was hard not to hear her.

"Even so, Lady Kicho, you should still be more frugal with your food and clothing expenses. Ninja must learn to endure hardship..."

Aoi and Rinko began earnestly lecturing Kicho, telling her to save money and not be wasteful.

She especially should not buy heaps of things on a whim that she might use once and never touch again.

"It's fine. My husband said this little bit of spending barely costs anything. Besides, if I don't use something anymore, I can give it to the wives of subordinate civil officials."

Kicho showed no remorse in the face of her two maids' chattering lecture.

"..."

Aoi and Rinko were speechless.

That was indeed true. It was not the first time they had reported Kicho's food and clothing expenses to Yayoi, asking him to manage them.

But every time, Yayoi said he understood. Then Kicho would start acting cute, and he would forget all about it.

Or perhaps he had never intended to lecture her in the first place.

Who knew what sort of marital amusement the two of them were enjoying.

After all, ever since they married, there had not been a single night without passion. Ninja's powerful physiques were not made specifically for this sort of thing.

The two girls immediately trembled with anger.

Kicho was even worse. She had been married for three months now.

Every day, she ate the best food and used the best things. Her nightlife was even more intense.

Otherwise, she would act spoiled and cling to the general. Sometimes, even in broad daylight, her hands would get a little too bold.

Once, in the corridor of the courtyard, they had vaguely seen Kicho pressed against a pillar from the front, softly "singing."

Her life was exactly like that of a decadent aristocratic young lady.

As for ninja training, she had not practiced even once.

This rotten, extravagant lifestyle had become so excessive that even her maids could no longer stand it.

As for reporting it to the Hyuga Clan's main family, that was impossible.

If the main family intervened, it would mean meddling in the Land of Night's politics. It would no longer be an internal matter of the general's household and could provoke an international dispute.

"Lady Kicho, we are not criticizing you. We simply hope you can correct your attitude a little. Since marrying here, you haven't trained for a single day. Your body is practically rusting, isn't it? The most important spirit of the Hyuga Clan is enduring hardship..."

As they spoke, Aoi and Rinko once again launched into an endless lecture, determined to pull Kicho back onto the right path.

Ninja should use hardship to constantly temper themselves and improve who they were.

Pleasure was a ninja's greatest enemy.

"I know, I know. I'll pay a little more attention from now on."

Kicho waved her hand impatiently, signaling for the two of them to stop lecturing her.

But how much of it she had actually taken to heart, only she herself knew.

After all, before she married here, she had already suffered enough in the Hyuga Clan. Now that she was the general's wife, she still had to suffer... then wouldn't becoming the general's wife have been for nothing?

Aoi and Rinko could only stop their lecture and hope Kicho would truly improve in the future.

Inside the softly lit bedroom.

"Aoi and Rinko came to complain about you to me again."

After returning, Yayoi placed his coat on the screen rack, rubbed the little head Kicho affectionately nudged toward him, and smiled helplessly as he watched the girl pounce into his arms like a small animal.

"Those two really are too serious. Why didn't I notice that when we were in the clan?"

Kicho was also troubled by the two maids' earnest lectures.

Especially lectures that were supposedly for her own good—she could neither scold nor beat them, leaving her with no choice but to listen obediently.

Although she had the ability to use the Caged Bird and silence them with the curse mark... she would never do such a thing.

Aoi and Rinko were doing it for her sake. Their attempts to stop her were proof of their loyalty. Only if they harbored other ill intentions would she punish them.

"Isn't it because you're too lax, Kicho?"

"Does my husband despise me too?"

Hearing the sudden whimpering beside his ear, Yayoi did not know whether to laugh or cry.

His wife's skill at feigning innocence was truly instinctive.

"I was only saying it. Your little bit of spending hasn't reached the point where I need to take it seriously."

Indeed, although Kicho had been spending lavishly lately, far beyond her past level of consumption.

To be honest, even if her spending rose another level, it would still be impossible for her to exhaust his private treasury in a hundred years.

What was more, the Land of Night's economic development was stable and healthy. Kicho's expenses could not even keep up with the income flowing into his private treasury.

And Kicho's spending was not entirely pointless. At the very least, she gave some of the things she bought to the wives of civil officials.

For someone in power, that in itself was a means of showing approval and winning people over, allowing those civil officials to rest easy.

Whether the gifts were valuable was not important. What mattered was who had bestowed them.

As a nation where the military dominated everything, Yayoi himself was closely tied to the army, so his interests aligned with those of the ninja and samurai.

For the civil officials managing the nation's internal affairs, it was a form of torment.

They respected Yayoi, but they also feared him.

So, if someone could take their place and soothe the civil officials' anxieties, that would be a good thing as well.

And for this task, no one was more suitable than Kicho.

In the eyes of outsiders, as the general's wife, every action Kicho took represented the general's own will.

Kicho rewarding the female relatives of civil officials and putting those officials at ease meant that the general likewise valued them and acknowledged the civil officials' collective contributions.

This young wife was remarkably shrewd. At a glance, she had seen through the hidden dangers within the Land of Night and immediately offered her own solution.

"As long as you do not blame me, my lord. All right, my lord, it is time to rest. Tonight, I would like to try being on top."

Kicho took Yayoi's arm and led him toward the bedding, her body growing fervent.

Her body was fuller than that of many grown women; delicate branches bearing abundant fruit was the perfect description.

A pink, suggestive atmosphere filled the spacious bedroom.

"Come to think of it, did you put that blade away?"

Yayoi looked around but did not see the special chakra blade Kicho had carried with her when she married into the household.

"That thing is inconvenient to carry around all the time, isn't it?"

"But it can be used for self-defense."

Yayoi still remembered the sight of Kicho in her wedding dress, holding that blade.

"Honestly, my lord, do you only find it interesting if you tease me like this?"

Kicho's cheeks reddened slightly, and her eyes turned reproachful.

"It is interesting. The way you looked that night, Kicho, was very... conquerable."

"Then... what about now?"

"I should be the one asking you. Kicho, has your heart finally calmed down? You know, your smiles lately have become very genuine."

Yayoi pinched Kicho's chin and gently lifted it.

His reflection filled the girl's pure white eyes.

"Mmm... then make me submit even more, my lord."

Kicho blushed shyly and slowly closed her eyes.

Perhaps my heart has already completely taken this person's shape.

No, I want to take this person's shape of my own accord.

Compared to a suffocating place like the Hyuga Clan, this was my true sanctuary.

Tonight was destined to be sleepless, their song rising until dawn.